GSMA releases its Mobile Gender Gap Report 2022

The GSMA’s 2022 Mobile Gender Gap Report highlights persistent challenges in women’s mobile access and use in low and middle-income countries, pointing out obstacles like literacy, affordability, and safety. Despite progress, women remain 7% less likely than men to own a mobile phone, with adoption rates slowing recently. Efforts to bridge this gap must target women effectively, especially amidst the pandemic and economic recovery.

GSMA published the new edition of Mobile Gender Gap Report which examines the mobile gender gap at regional and country levels, drawing attention to this important issue and providing key evidence to inform action. The 2022 edition looks particularly at how women’s mobile access and use is changing in low and middle-income countries (LMICs) and how efforts to reach women with mobile should be targeted amid the ongoing pandemic and economic recovery. It shows that the progress in the mobile internet gender gap was hindered because of key barriers vis-à-vis internet use including literacy and digital skills, affordability (primarily of handsets), and safety and security. The report also found that while women’s uptake of mobile internet in LMICs continues to increase, the rate of adoption has slowed, and women are still 7% less likely than men to own a mobile phone.